NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2003B-0147
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NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2003B-0147 |
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PI: B. R. Oppenheimer, American Museum of Natural History, bro@amnh.org
Address: Department of Astrophysics, 79th Street @ Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5192, USA
CoI: F. J. Clarke, European Southern Observatory/Chile
CoI: S. T. Hodgkin, Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge, UK
CoI: C. G. Tinney, Anglo-Australian Observatory, Australia
Title: The nature of the L/T transition; variability in cool brown dwarfs
Abstract:
We propose to monitor a statistically significant sample of L/T type
brown dwarfs to determine levels of variability due to dynamic
atmospheric processes such as dust cloud formation and destruction.
Understanding the behavior of dust clouds is critical to our overall
understanding of this class of brown dwarfs. Recent observations and
models suggest that the transition from L to T may be due to the rapid
evolution of dust clouds. Such models also imply significant levels of
variability. In coordinated proposals, we will make a definitive study
of this variability on baselines of up to 15 hours, significantly
building on our previous work. The large size of our sample is critical
to obtain a true measure of variability levels in the L/T brown dwarf
population, and will permit us to verify or refute the models of the L/T
transition in brown dwarfs.
National Optical Astronomy Observatory, 950 North Cherry Avenue, P.O. Box 26732, Tucson, Arizona 85726, Phone: (520) 318-8000, Fax: (520) 318-8360
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NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2003B-0147 |
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